Never Give Up
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: After getting into a fight, Hiccup and Astrid storm off on their separate ways. But before they have a chance to apologize, they are attacked by another tribe. (Post-HTTYD2)
1. Chapter 1

**So, I got this idea... **

**The story speaks for itself. This story will be updated once a day until I finish "A View To A Skrill Part 3", and then once that story's done, I will update this two to three times a day (my regular updating...thing, whatever you want to call it). I really hope this isn't too bad. :) Enjoy! **

Hiccup rode Toothless and landed the dragon inside the academy. When he dismounted, he looked around, finding it vacant besides Astrid and Stormfly.

"Hey, Astrid," said Hiccup, walking over to her. "Where are the others?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Astrid sarcastically, turning to face him. When she saw his deadpan expression, her frown deepened. "Home already."

"Home?" Hiccup frowned.

"The class was over hours ago, Hiccup," said Astrid, crossing her arms. "You told me you would be here, and you weren't. Why weren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Astrid," said Hiccup.

"That's not an answer," said Astrid.

"I just got busy!" said Hiccup. "I'm still getting the hang of this whole 'Chief' thing."

"So you don't even have time to tell your friends you're not going to show up to the academy?" said Astrid, her voice growing more and more angry with every word. "Does being Chief suddenly replace you as being our friends?"

"Astrid, I know where this is going, and-"

"You could have at least told me!" said Astrid. "We were waiting for you, and we wasted an hour of work just waiting for you to get here!"

"Why do you always have to get so infuriated about everything!?" Hiccup asked, exasperated.

"I'm NOT infuriated!" yelled Astrid.

"Oh, I can see that!" said Hiccup.

"You're the infuriating one!" said Astrid. "Why do you have to be so irritating!?"

"I'm not irritating!" said Hiccup. "I'm irritat_ed_."

"You don't say?" said Astrid sarcastically.

"Why are you getting so mad at me!?" Hiccup shouted.

"Because you didn't TELL me you weren't going to show up at the academy today!" said Astrid. "You could have told me at least!"

"I don't have to tell you _everything_!" said Hiccup. "I got caught up!"

"In what?" said Astrid. "Flying?"

"This has nothing to do with flying!" said Hiccup. "And I _wasn't _flying, thank you very much, Astrid, I was _trying _to help a villager with their rogue dragon!"

"Well if you're so sure, why are you shouting!?" said Astrid.

"I'M NOT SHOUTING!" Hiccup shouted. "You're the one shouting!"

"Well I'm only shouting because you're shouting!" said Astrid.

"Well..why don't...you just...AGH!" Hiccup yelled, running his hands through his hair. "Why do you have to be so difficult!?"

"You were the one who started this in the first place!" said Astrid.

"Me!?" said Hiccup. "You're the one who's shouting!"

"I'm only shouting because _you're _shouting!"

"You said that already!"

"Well I just _said it again_, because you never listen to me!"

"You're no better!"

"At least I _try_!"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"It doesn't matter!"

"FINE. I don't care!"

"Well neither do I!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

The two of them stomped in opposite directions, mounted their dragons, and were airborne, heading as far away from each other as possible at that moment.

"The nerve of him," said Astrid to no one in particular. "It's not _my _fault he didn't tell me he was going to be so late the classes at the academy were finished by the time he got there. It's not my fault." _But you were the one who kept yelling at him when he tried to apologize_, part of her mind said back.

It wasn't his fault, really, the more Astrid thought about it. If he was helping someone with their rogue dragon, he probably got caught up in that for too long, and wasn't able to tell her about not being able to show up on time. He wasn't _trying _to make her mad, she realized at that moment. He was _trying _to do the right thing.

Besides, she couldn't really blame him for not showing up when he said he would. He was still getting used to the whole Chief business. It had only been a few months. She shouldn't have yelled at him. It wasn't his fault. He didn't have control over the situation.

_ASTRID YOU FOOL! _she mentally scolded herself.

"What have I done?" she whispered.

She was going to head back; she was going to march straight up to Hiccup and apologize. It wasn't his fault; it was her fault. She had been having a bad day with Snotlout and the twins, and she had just taken it out on him. She was going to go back, and tell him herself how sorry she was for the way she yelled at him and accused him when really he hadn't done anything wrong.

Just as she started heading back, the warn horn blew, just barely loud enough for her to hear. Her eyes widened as she looked back in the direction from whence it came, and saw ships approaching on the horizon.

"Oh no," she said to herself. "Come on, Stormfly, we have to go back." Stormfly roared in agreement and flew back towards the village. By the time they got there, the ships were there as well.

"The Lava Lout tribe," said Astrid to herself as she landed Stormfly. "What are they doing here?"

"They were coming to renew a peace treaty!" said Snotlout, racing up to the girl and her Nadder. "But we found out just recently that they had spies looking everywhere, and they took the dragons as a reason for war!"

"And now by the looks of it," Fishlegs joined the duo as he spoke, "they aren't going to be renewing a treaty anytime soon."

The Chief of the Lava Louts stepped forward, walking off his ship when the plank was lowered and intended for him to do so. Hiccup stepped forward to meet the Chief, holding Inferno in his left hand in case he had to use it.

"Ahh, Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," said Chief of the Lava Louts, "you have been hiding your dragons the whole time, and now, you have been building a dragon army to use against us!"

"You are mistaken," said Hiccup. "We made peace with the dragons over five years ago. We aren't using them for attacking you or any other tribes."

"That's what you say," said the Chief, "but I know better, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, ha ha, _far _better."

"Okay," said Hiccup, clicking Inferno, "you are officially creepy."

The Chief laughed. "They all say that," he said. Then, he motioned for the men on his ship, shouted, "HAVE AT THEM, LADS!" and then the world as the Berkians knew it exploded into one of war.


	2. Chapter 2

**My daily update for this story! :D Shout-outs for the win!: **

**TheLastNightFury777: I...actually don't remember where I got Lava Lout island from. I don't really play Rise of Berk, but I think I saw Lava Lout island on a wikipidia for HTTYD, or something. :) **

**silverwolvesarecool: :D **

**LissanFuryEye: Thanks! :D **

**Omegaman17: *hands you more soda to get you prepared for this next cliffhanger* Hehehe. :D Glad you like it! XD**

**HiccupHaddockIII: I don't get it! *shrugs* Hiccup's just one of those people who all the chiefs hate (Dagur, Alvin, Lava Lout Chief dude)...ugh. Poor Hiccup. **

**Night Fury15: Thank you! :D **

**AnimeAngel: Yeah, it was intentionally rushed. :) Glad you like it so far! And yes, Lava Dude is rather unsettling. **

You would think that having dragons on one's side would make anyone else cease their fire; well, not the Lava Louts. War was what they lived for. And...it wasn't really a pretty way to live, but they were a large tribe; no one questioned them. The questioning was left to the Lava Louts themselves.

The Berkians charged at the other tribe, rushing at them with weapons of warfare to use against their newfound enemies.

The dragon riders mounted their dragons and were airborne; Valka, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Astrid and Hiccup, along with new recruit from the dragon academy who had been trained to ride dragons.

"FIRE, TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted. Toothless fired a plasma blast straight towards one of the ships.

Another ship exploded into a firework of purple fire, leaving the soldiers on said vessel to dive into the water to avoid being scorched. Hiccup looked down at the ship with a satisfied expression, and then turned around to watch Snotlout and the twins blast another ship into oblivion.

The war had been going for at _least _three hours, and yet the Lava Louts didn't seem quite ready to retreat yet. Well, of course, the Berkians _could _have just blasted their ships with fire, but sadly, if they wanted them to retreat, they needed to have _some way _to get off the island.

Astrid turned around and looked at Hiccup just as another ship exploded, the people on the warship jumping into the water and then swimming to shore to fight the Berkian soldiers from the ground.

And they had bolas.

Just their luck.

"STORMFLY, SPINE SHOT!" Astrid yelled to her dragon. The Deadly Nadder flipped her tail, spines flying off it in all directions. The enemy troops ducked and dodged, just barely missing the spikes.

"Good girl!" said Astrid. "Do it again!"

The Nadder continued, while at the same time shooting blasts of fire at the ships to destroy them in a single blow.

And not only that, either. They had canons. CANONS. Good _grief _they had CANONS!

One of the canons fired; Ruffnut and Tuffnut spun their Zippleback out of the way just - _just barely _\- in time to miss the fire altogether. Another canon shot out from a different ship; Meatlung did one of her practice maneuvers to keep herself and her rider from getting hit.

Three more were fired in a rapid session; Hiccup, Astrid, and Valka all just barely managed to swerve out of the way before they were hit.

And then along with the canons and bolas came arrows.

Now wasn't that just the icing on the cake?

Arrows upon arrows upon arrows shot through the air, their deadly arrowheads set for kill. The dragon riders managed to dodge the first round of fire, but the next one was trickier, as they weren't able to prepare for it properly before it started.

The second line of arrows was harder for sure, but they still managed it without getting injured. Just as the third line of fire was about to be enforced, the Chief of the Lava Louts called out to Hiccup.

"I have a proposition for you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" he shouted. "My men and I will stop fighting, just so long as you come down here and listen."

Hiccup wasn't sure about it, but if he didn't do it then, he wouldn't have another chance. And plus, the archers had arrows aiming straight at them; Hiccup couldn't lose Astrid or Valka just because he was being stubborn.

So, he angled Toothless, and landed right in front of the Chief. He smiled as Hiccup dismounted and approached him, Inferno held tightly in his hand.

"The proposition, Hiccup," said the Chief.

"I'm listening," said Hiccup.

"Here it is," said the Chief with an evil grin placed across his face. "My men and I will leave as soon as you fulfil what I have to ask of you. And if you do not, well, we will not stop until we have killed every single Berkian in existance."

"The proposition," said Hiccup, putting Inferno out in front of him, "_NOW_."

"Alright, alright," said the Chief. "You really get straight to the point now, don't you?"

"But you don't," said Hiccup. "Give me your proposition before I run you through."

"You couldn't run me through," said the Chief. "I see it in your eyes. Your eyes betray your words, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. You can't run me through. Even talking about running me through, threatening me, telling me you will do so is already quite the stretch of your character."

"It's becoming more and more tempting every time you open your mouth," said Hiccup. "And if you don't speak up soon, I might just have to."

"Clever boy," said the Chief, "but that won't save you in the end."

"The proposition," said Hiccup. "What is it?"

"I will call my men back," said the Chief, "and we will retreat to Lava Lout island _if_...and only if...you give yourself up to us, and come willingly."

Astrid was shocked. Not because of what the Chief was asking, but because Hiccup looked ready to agree to his proposal.

"You'll leave right away," said Hiccup, "no more questions asked...you won't hurt another Berkian, or ever come back to this island...just if I come with you by my own free will?"

The Chief nodded.

"Hiccup don't do it!" Astrid shouted.

"Don't, Hiccup!" Valka yelled at him.

"Come on, boy," said the Chief. "I don't have all day. What's your answer? Now or never, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. My archers are ready. And they won't miss a third time."

"I..." Hiccup started, and swallowed. If he didn't do it, there was a chance he and the Berkians could fight off the Lava Louts with their dragons and weapons. But then again, there was a chance that many of the Berkians could lose their life in the battle. Hiccup knew by going with the Lava Louts, he would save the lives of his people. But if he went, he might never again see Astrid, or his mother whom he had just recently gotten back, or any of the other Berkians ever again. Or Toothless, either. He would never see Toothless again. But at least he would be saving them.

He gulped. "I-I'll do it," he stuttered.


	3. Chapter 3

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted.

"I'll do it," Hiccup repeated, louder the second time, just to make sure that there was no misunderstanding, and to insure the fact that his people heard him. "I'll come."

The Chief grinned like a maniac. "Very well then," he said. "By your own free will, boy."

Hiccup took a deep breath, one last look at Berk, and then boarded the enemy ship.

Astrid landed Stormfly, followed closely by the other dragon riders. As soon as they dismounted, they ran forward. Hiccup put his hand out to them, and they stopped.

"Hiccup, what are you doing!?" Astrid shouted at him.

"Protecting you," said Hiccup.

"But...but you'll come back, right?" said Astrid.

"I...I don't know," he admitted.

"He's not coming back," said the Chief. "You'll never see him again, for as long as you live. That is a promise I intend to keep."

"You have to come back, Hiccup," said Astrid. "Make me a promise that you intend to keep, right now. Promise me!"

"I can't," said Hiccup. "I can't, Astrid, because I don't know."

"Enough," said the Chief. "Hiccup made his choice. By his own free will, remember." He laughed. "I find it humorous how a Chief will do anything for his people," he said. "Or, this Chief, anyways. I want you all to know, Berkians, that you will never see Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third again. And _you-_" the Chief turned back to Hiccup. "Take a good, last look at your friends and family. You'll never see them again, either."

"I promise, Astrid," said Hiccup, completely catching her off guard. "I promise I'll come back."

"You better," said Astrid, but she had tears in her eyes.

"That's all!" said the Chief. "Come, men! We're shoving off, back to our home island."

And so the ships were boarded by the Lava Lout soldiers, and then the warships were off.

...

As soon as the ships were out of sight, Astrid screamed in both fury and grief. She drew her axe and hacked at an unfortunate tree, grunting and shouting random nonsense while sinking and yanking her axeblade in and out of the splintering wood.

"Astrid, Astrid calm down!" said Valka.

"No, no I won't calm down!" said Astrid, throwing her axe into the ocean. Stormfly immediately flew off to retrieve it while Astrid turned to Valka. "It's not okay!" she shouted. "What if I never see him again!? And then the last thing we ever did was fight!" She was hyperventilating now, unable to keep her tears back. "The last thing we ever did was fight," she repeated, and saying it made it feel more real. She had yelled at Hiccup, told him that she didn't care, and now he was gone. What if she really never saw him again?

Stormfly dropped the axe at Astrid's feet, and she threw it, letting it embed into the wall of a building. Stormfly ran off to get it once more.

"I never had the chance to apologize to him," said Astrid, now whispering. "I got mad, took it out on him, and now he's not even here to hear me say I'm sorry. I might...I might never have the chance to make up with him."

She hesitated before her voice rose again as she continued. "And he goes on and gives himself up to protect us from some barbaric maniacs!"

"Astrid," said Valka, "Hiccup is the most stubborn person I know. He'll be back." But she didn't sound certain, and there were tears in her eyes. "He said he will, and he means that."

Astrid shook her head. "Promises don't mean anything," she said. "The Chief of the Lava Louts promised Hiccup would never see Berk again. It doesn't change it. If Hiccup somehow does manage to get back here...it'll be a miracle. That Chief isn't going to hand him over. He promised he wouldn't, Hiccup promised he would make it back. The two promises contradict each other. Which one will be held true?"

It was a question Valka couldn't answer, and Astrid knew it. So, she turned around just as Stormfly was returning with her axe, mounted the dragon, and then headed off. She needed to be alone.

...

Hiccup hated ships.

Really, he did; not only because they were just pieces of wood keeping him from certain death that he most _assuredly _didn't trust, but also because they were rocky, and shaky. He didn't trust them as far as he could throw them.

The ship was throwing him a lot, though. Of course, the Lava Louts didn't find a need for tying him up, because what could he do? The only things below the deck, where he was currently being held, were barrels and sacks of who-knew-what. There was nothing he could have done down there. And so whenever the ship rocked, Hiccup was thrown across the deck.

He wasn't even trying to stand up anymore, because as soon as he was standing, the ship would rock once more, almost mocking him, tossing him back to the floor once more. It was like a constant earthquake, and Hiccup loathed it.

They had taken his weapons, but go figure. He had a sword that _lit on fire _and then a dagger, which couldn't really do much harm, yet they still took because they didn't know what Hiccup was capable of. He was Chief of Berk, the great Dragon Master, who rode a _Night Fury_. He wasn't someone to be underestimated.

Plus, they knew he was smart, too; probably smarter than the whole of the ship combined. If he somehow managed to derive a plan against the crew, it would not fail. Hiccup knew they knew this, of course; he wasn't dense. But it made him wonder what they were planning on doing with him.

After another hour of being tossed and thrown across the wooden planks that made up the below deck, the ship came to an abrupt stop. As soon as it stopped moving, Hiccup began to dread where they had taken him, and what they were going to do with him.

The hatch leading below deck opened, and sunlight poured through the top. Hiccup squinted, putting a hand above his eyes to block out some of the light. A soldier motioned for him to come up, and he did so.

Once he did as he was commanded, his eyes finally adjusted to the light. He gasped.

The Lava Louts had taken him to a slave market.


	4. Chapter 4

The Berkians began to panic; without a Chief, that was all they could do. The people who tried to make order of the situation were shoved aside, unable to get their voice over the roaring and frantic questioning of the crowds.

"This is insane," said Eret to Astrid, watching as the villagers turned to each other, asking questions such as "What's happening?" or "What's going to happen to us?" or "Should we go after them and attack?"

Astrid didn't say anything.

"You know," said Eret, "being a dragon trapper in the past has been crazy. But I never thought I'd live to see the day something became even more crazier. I never thought Hiccup would actually give himself up like that."

"Eret, please," said Astrid. "I don't...I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, right," said Eret. "I couldn't have helped overhearing, though," he said, despite what Astrid had asked of him. "You said you took your anger out on him shortly before the battle commenced."

Astrid sighed. She should have seen that coming. "It was my fault," she said. "I was selfish. I..." She took a breath, wondering, thinking about what she had actually said to Hiccup. "He showed up late at the academy because he got caught up helping a villager with their rogue dragon. I told him he was annoying, and that he never listened, or even tried to," she said. Had she really said that to him? "I told him I didn't care." Wow, she couldn't believe herself. "He tried to apologize, but I brushed him off," said Astrid.

_With yelling_, part of her mind added. _And quite a bit of screaming_.

"I told him he was irritating," said Astrid. "I accused him of putting his duties over his friends. And I was wrong..."

Eret nodded. "Sounds like the same conversation Hiccup had to me shortly before the battle commenced," he said.

Astrid turned to him as if he had sprouted wings. "What?" she asked.

"Well, Hiccup was really angry," said Eret. "He kept mumbling and calling himself a stupid, ignorant fool under his breath, but I heard him. So, I took it up with him. He told me that he was the one who started it, and told me that he was just about to go apologize to you, and then the war horn blew, and he didn't have time."

Astrid continued to stare at him. Eret suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment, folded neatly in half, before handing it to Astrid.

"He wrote that down just before the war," said Eret. "Told me to give it to you as soon as I could. I think he was expecting to be taken away by those Lava Louts, or else he would have kept it to give to you himself."

"Did you...did you read it?" Astrid asked, just because she was curious.

Eret shook his head. "No," he said. "It's not for me to read."

Astrid very slowly, with shaking fingers, unfolded the little piece of paper, and read the very messily written runes to herself;

_Astrid, _

_Since I might not have time to say this any other day, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I was wrong. I do care, Astrid, I really do; I don't know what made me say those things, but I didn't mean a word of them. I do care, and I'm really sorry for what I said to you, and everything else. I have a feeling the Lava Louts are going to ask me to go with them, and in case they do and I'm not able to tell you in person, I hope that this settles. Astrid...could you ever forgive me? I'm so, so, so sorry. It was all my fault. Please, if you find yourself able, forgive me. Please. _

_Sincerely yours, _

_Hiccup Haddock _

Astrid looked down at the letter in shock. Here Hiccup was blaming himself for something Astrid had done. She couldn't even begin to think about it properly. She looked at one of the words written in charcoal on the paper, and then found it smudged slightly. She reached up and touched her face. Had she really started crying without knowing she was doing so?

"I take it you regret what you said," said Eret, catching Astrid off guard. Astrid nodded feverishly, folding the parchment in half once more and tucking it away in the pouch attatched to her belt.

"I regret every word of it," said Astrid. "I...I can't even apologize to Hiccup for what I said now...now that he's gone."

"It's not too late," said Eret, "you know."

"What...?" Astrid started, but she already knew what Eret was getting at. She had actually planned on doing it all along; going out and looking for Hiccup, even before Eret suggested it. Now that Eret was bringing it up again, sounding as though he were going to come with anyone else who went in search of Hiccup, she found hope.

"The Lava Louts wouldn't take Hiccup just to kill him now, would they, Astrid?" said Eret, breaking Astrid out of her thoughtful remorse. Astrid looked at him and shook her head. "Of course they wouldn't," Eret went on, rising to stand, Astrid moving to do the same. "They'd have nothing to gain from killing him, you know," he said.

"So what are you suggesting we do?" said Astrid, although she already knew the answer.

"In this chaos," said Eret, almost whispering in case they were being spied on by some of the other villagers (mainly Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout), "no one will notice a few dragon riders sneaking away. We can leave easily, head for Lava Lout island, and demand they return to us our Chief."

"You know, Eret," said Astrid, "that's the best idea I've heard all day." She turned and ran in the opposite direction.

She had friends to gather, supplies to grab, a dragon to mount, and a friend to save.


	5. Chapter 5

**OKAY, ANNOUNCEMENT: **

**Listen, I know how lots of people sometimes get mad at me for the lack of romance in my stories, and I just gotta say, that it is intentional. I am young, and not a fan of writing romances. I hope all of you out there who are very keen on reading romance stories will not forget the concept of the story because of lack of kissing and romancy scenes. I am sorry, but if you like romance stories, I am not the author for you. **

**On the other hand, if you like Hurt/Comfort, Adventure, and Action, read this fanfiction, and enjoy! :D **

The more Hiccup thought about it, the more he thought that this was going to be the end of him.

A slave market. Seriously? Out of all the places the Lava Louts could have taken him, it had to be a slave market. He should have expected it, though; the Lava Louts wanted him for _something_. And in all honesty, he had been expecting it the whole time. They certainly didn't want Hiccup on _their home _island, because that's where the Berkians would look for him. But if they sold him to someone else, they would be free from worrying about Berkians, _and _have something to gain from it on top of that.

Yes, Hiccup was expecting it.

But that didn't mean he wasn't scared.

Because _oh, _he was _scared _out of his _mind_. It took a lot for him to be blatantly scared; he had faced the Red Death, battled Dagur hand to hand, outsmarted Alvin the Treacherous, watched his best friend be used to kill his father, battled Drago and his army, and everything in between. But this was different, for some reason. _Very _different.

Saying he was scared would be an underestimate as well, really, because he _wasn't _just "scared." It was more than that. He had been brave every time Alvin kidnapped him; he had been brave every time the Berserkers attacked; he had been brave training the most dangerous species of dragon known to the archipelago.

Then what was it now that made him so blatantly _terrified? _

Maybe part of it was the fact that he one-hundred-percent _despised _the idea of slaves. They were living people who were treated, for the most part, without respect. They were _living human beings _who were often forced against their will to do whatever whoever owned them asked.

And that was another thing. The slaves _belonged _to their masters. They couldn't think or live for themselves unless their slave master said so. He had heard stories of slaves who were stricken and beaten to the point of _death_, even, because they weren't doing as they were asked. In Hiccup's mind, it was a sick, twisted way to live.

It actually took him a long time before he realized that he was no longer walking; now he was standing, positioned in front of someone he didn't recognize. The man was studying him, looking him over.

"Berkian," he said. "Viking. I've got no need of them."

"But this isn't just a Berkian," said the Lava Lout soldier who had shoved Hiccup off the ship. "He is the great Dragon Master who trains dragons without so much as a second thought."

"And what use have I of a Dragon Master?" said the other man. "I am a Roman Centurion, looking for someone who will battle the competitor."

"But this one's a great fighter," said the Lava Lout. "He is a mastermind, too. He built a sword that's flame lights when he clicks a certain button."

"Sounds to me as if you are trying to win me over," said the Roman Centurion. "Does he speak Latin?"

The Lava Lout shoved Hiccup. Hiccup almost didn't answer; he did know Latin, to some extent; his grandfather had taught him a little bit, but just the basics.

"Can you speak Latin?" said the Centurion to Hiccup.

"I know the basics," said Hiccup in Latin.

"That's enough," said the Centurion. He looked back at the Lava Lout. "How much do you want for him?"

While the two of them spoke to each other, Hiccup's mind wandered. This was it. He was going to Rome, and, according to what the Centurion said, he was going to be the challenger to another soldier. He was going to be forced to fight for his life.

He winced when he felt his hands bound behind his back with a thick rope. Then, he was lead away by the Roman Centurion to a ship docked not too far away. Once they reached their destination, Hiccup was forced onto the ship and below the deck. It was once again empty, with barrels and supplies stored inside of it for whatever given reason.

He was sold.

...

Astrid was frantic as she stuffed supplies into her satchel and got Stormfly ready for the journey ahead. She had already spoken to Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Fishlegs and then of course Eret, and they were all in on her idea. They were going to go to that dreaded place the Lava Louts called "Lava Lout island" (go figure!), and get Hiccup back, no matter what it costed.

At that point, it could have caused war to break out against the Lava Louts and the Berkians, and Astrid wouldn't have cared very much. At least that way, Hiccup would be fighting with the Berkians instead of being imprisoned on Lava Lout island.

The only person Astrid didn't tell about them leaving was Valka who, of course, would have either stopped them from going, or came with them. Astrid wasn't opposed to Valka coming, but she didn't want something to happen to her. If they saved Hiccup, and then Valka got hurt in the process, Hiccup would blame himself, and then never forgive himself.

As soon as Astrid finished grabbing needed supplies, she shouldered her satchel, slipped her axe into her sheath, and then walked outside, where Stormfly was waiting for her. She looked into the sky just in time to see Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs and Eret arrive on their own dragons, satchels in hand.

"We ready?" Snotlout asked.

"I think we are," said Astrid. "Now all we need to do is leave."

She turned and was just about to mount Stormfly, when she heard the beating wings of a dragon. She turned and looked just in time to see Cloudjumper fly and land right beside her.

Valka looked at Astrid and the others, and then held up a satchel.

"I figured I'd find you all here," she said. She dismounted. "I knew you would go after him, and I'm coming with you. And don't any single one of you think about protesting, either," she said, gesturing roughly to the group when they opened their mouths to speak. "Hiccup is my son just as much as he is your friends. If you guys are going, I'm coming with you."

"Fine," said Snotlout. "But it's dangerous."

"Then we need to go now," said Valka. "Hiccup's in a much more dangerous situation then we ourselves are in." They mounted their dragons, and then headed off, towards Lava Lout island.

They were going to save Hiccup no matter _what _it costed them.


	6. Chapter 6

Part of Hiccup was glad he spoke Latin, while the other part was thinking that it was the only reason he was sold to that Roman Centurion in the first place.

Normally, he wouldn't have complained too much about his situation; after all, it was by his own free will that he left Berk to go with that crazy tribe. But then again, it wasn't like he had a choice. If he didn't go with those Lava Louts, then all the people he cared about could have been killed.

So, he went with the Lava Louts, and now he was in Rome.

Rome? Out of all the places in the world, Rome. It had to be Rome.

He'd never been to Rome before; a few times in the past, he had wondered what it would be like, but had never actually ventured there before. He didn't see a point, nor did he have a longing to go there.

And now, prisoner of a ship, he was going against his will to a place he had been previously trying to avoid.

Once the ship stopped what seemed like days later, the deck opened once more, and Hiccup was forced out of it by the Roman Centurion. The Berkian didn't fight the grip of the Roman; he couldn't, and wouldn't.

He was lead to one of the larger buildings, one he presumed was a dungeon, or prison, or something in that manner. He was lead inside, and tossed into a cell, locked in shortly afterwards.

"Enjoy your new home," said the Roman Centurion. "What is your name, Berkian?"

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," Hiccup answered, taking a moment to try and speak every word with proper Latin.

"That _is _a mouthful," said the Centurion. "You are my champion challenger to the other tribe's champion challenger. From here on out, you shall be called Toby."

"Yes sir," said Hiccup. He had been expecting something worse, but Toby was fine with him.

"Toby, short for Tobias," said the Centurion. "The fight takes place tomorrow, make ready. Those Lava Louts presented to me your weapon, which I will give to you before the battle begins. And it is a fight to the death, Tobias, so don't die. I have a high bet on my champion."

"You don't even know how well I fight," said Hiccup. "I could be a terrible swordmaster. I could not even want to fight."

"Anyone will fight for their life," said the Centurion. "I'm sure you know that. And, one more thing, Tobias," he added. "Whenever you are with an important Roman, I expect you to speak Latin. Not Norse." Then, he turned and walked in the opposite direction, out of the prison, and to wherever he was heading.

"This is crazy," said Hiccup, speaking his usual language once the Centurion was gone. "Insane, more like, actually, now that I think about it."

"What?" a timid voice asked from behind him, in Latin. Hiccup turned around just in time to see a shortish boy emerge from the shadows. His hair was black and cut short in the Roman style, his skin tone slightly darker than usual, his eyes mud brown.

"You speak Latin?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded. "More or less," he said in Latin. "Who are you?"

"My name is Wyleah," said the boy, approaching Hiccup timidly. "And...what did you say your name was again?"

"Apparently Tobias," said Hiccup, "according to what that Centurion just told me."

"But what's your real name?" Wyleah asked.

"Hiccup," said Hiccup.

"You're a Viking?" Wyleah asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Berkian," he said.

"How'd you wind up here?" said Wyleah. "The Viking realms are really far from here, you know."

"It wasn't too long ago, I don't think," said Hiccup. "Maybe two or three days or something like that. The Lava Lout tribe attacked us. Have you ever heard of the Lava Louts?"

Wyleah shook his head.

"Well, they're not really the peacemakers we've hoped them to be," said Hiccup. "When coming to renew a peacetreaty, they attacked us instead."

"They sound fun," Wyleah said with an eye roll.

"Yeah, lots of fun," Hiccup chimed in with his own sarcasm. "They had arrows aimed at some of my best friends, and so they said that if I came with them willingly, that they wouldn't fire the arrows, and that they would leave in peace."

"And so you went with them," Wyleah guessed.

Hiccup nodded. "Exactly," he said. "And so that's kind of how I wound up here. The Lava Louts took me to a slave market, sold me to that Centurion, and then the Centurion told me he wanted me to fight someone...or somethin', and that brings us to the now, I suppose. There's really not much more to the story."

As he was speaking, his thoughts drifted to Astrid. He really hoped she had gotten the note, and that Eret hadn't forgot to give it to her. He felt really bad about the way he had treated her, and hoped that someway or somehow, she could find a way to forgive him.

"So he wants you to fight the other tribe's challenger?" Wyleah asked once Hiccup was done speaking, breaking the Berkian out of his thoughts.

Hiccup nodded. "I know, it sounds crazy," he said. "They don't even know me."

"That Centurion doesn't really care; he doesn't have to know you exactly, per say," said Wyleah. "The thing is, he knows talent when he sees it, even if you don't demonstrate. He must have seen something special in you, Tobias, or else he wouldn't have taken you here, and then _especially _set you up to battle someone when he's never seen you fight before. And Romans...they bet a lot on fights like this sometimes. Especially that Centurion who brought you here. He wouldn't have picked you unless he was certain you could win."

"Who is that Centurion anyways?" Hiccup asked. "Does he have a name, or do I just call him...what?"

"His name is Felix," said Wyleah, "but since you're technically his slave, just calling him 'Sire' will probably suffice. You know, for being a Norwegian Viking, you speak Latin rather well. Who taught you?"

"My grandfather on my mother's side," said Hiccup. "I don't know much Latin, really, just enough to be able to carry on a conversation."

"You're doing mighty well, if you ask me, Tobias," said Wyleah.

"Well, thanks," said Hiccup. "And you know, just Toby will do."


	7. Chapter 7

"We're almost there!" Astrid shouted to the others. "I can almost see it!"

"Where?" said Snotlout. "I don't see it!"

"There!" Valka shouted, pointing to a small dot out in the distance that got larger and larger as the dragons headed towards it. "Lava Lout island."

"Perfect," said Astrid. "Let's go save Hiccup."

They had been flying for roughly a day and a half straight, without even pausing to rest themselves or their dragons. They didn't know what the Lava Louts were going to do to Hiccup, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. They wouldn't have taken him in the first place if it wasn't for some brilliant reason that was beneficial to the island itself.

"That is one mess of an island," Eret commented, looking below as he and the others soared over the isle. "Remind me never to complain about Berk ever again."

And so it was true; there was no plant habitation except a few dead trees here and there, and moss on some of the rocks, along with sickly looking grass jutting out of some of the thick, soup-like lakes that shouldn't have even been called "lakes" anymore. Most of the island was made up of marsh and murky stretches of water, along with sharp rocks that shot out of the ground like miniature mountain ranges.

The buildings...now, _they _were a strange sight to behold. They were made up of mud, plants, and strange looking logs that had to have come from somewhere else, because they _certainly _hadn't been grown on that island.

"This is so creepy," said Ruffnut, the Zippleback she and Tuffnut were riding soaring close enough to the ground for Ruffnut to touch it. She examined the thickness of the water (if you could have even called it that) and then shook it off her hand. "I don't like it. It's really giving me the creeps."

"Hence the 'this is so creepy' part?" said Fishlegs, making quotation marks with his fingers on the last few words.

"Yeah, exactly," said Ruffnut.

"So, Astrid," said Eret, "what's the plan? How are we going to find Hiccup?"

"By looking, of course," said Astrid. "Look for some sort of arena, or something. Usually, the only thing people want Hiccup for is training dragons. If we can find an arena, I think we'll be one step closer to finding Hiccup."

"Then let's split up," said Valka. "Astrid and I will go one way, while the rest of you split up into groups of two and cover whatever we don't. If we don't find anything, we'll meet in the middle of the island in...let's say...thirty minutes. And if you do find anything, we'll hear it from your dragons. Move out!"

And so the dragons and riders scattered in different directions, going here and there and everywhere in an attempt to find an arena, or more importantly, Hiccup. They looked; they looked everywhere, until they were sure they had looked over the entire whole of Lava Lout island at least twice. Once the mandatory thirty minutes were up, they met back, each with the same results.

No one had found anything at all.

"Okay, so there's no arena," said Astrid. "What about a dungeon?"

"We could look," said Fishlegs. "If there's no arena, then there just _has _to be _some _sort of dungeon on this island. Where else would these Lava Louts keep their prisoners?"

"We'll split up, same routine," said Astrid. "We have to find something."

They split up once more, scattering across Lava Lout island, searching for some place they could have been holding Hiccup. But even after a whole nother half-hour of looking intently for anything at all, they still found nothing.

Astrid had hoped against all hope that some of the other riders had gotten luck when she and Valka hadn't; but Fishlegs and Snotlout showed back with nothing, and Eret and the Twins were no different. They scanned the others, looking for a sign that they had had at least a _bit _of luck, and found none.

"There...there has to be something," said Astrid. "There...how can there be _nothing? _That just doesn't make sense! They had to take Hiccup _somewhere_, didn't they? They wouldn't just leave him out in the open for us to find, now would they? No, of course, especially if they had been expecting us!" She was starting to freak out; what if they really _didn't _find Hiccup? What if the Lava Louts had..._killed _him?

She pushed the thought aside as soon as she thought about it. No, she couldn't think about that. Hiccup wasn't dead; the Lava Louts wouldn't stoop that low.

Or...or would they?

"I did see a building that looked sort of like a Great Hall, or something," said Tuffnut.

"Yeah," Ruffnut agreed with a nod of her head. "It was really big, and looked like a Great Hall, sort of."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," said Tuffnut. "Is that of any significance?" he said, turning to look at Astrid.

"Maybe," said Astrid, finally finding hope in her voice. "Come on, Tuffnut, lead the way!"

Tuffnut and Ruffnut turned and headed in the opposite direction, the others following them in close pursuit.

They landed in front of the "Great Hall", which indeed _did _look very much like a Great Hall, just because of its size, and the fact that there were shouts emanating from inside of it.

Astrid and the other riders dismounted, drawing their weapons and walking forward with extreme caution; they didn't know if the Lava Louts were expecting them or not. For all they knew, this could have all been a trap.

But when Astrid thought about it, trap or no trap, she was going to get Hiccup out. No matter what it cost her.

So, she lead the others straight up the steps to the Great Hall and then, taking little to no time reaching it, kicked the doors wide open, and raced inside with a scream of war, followed closely by the others.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my name is I-Have-Not-Done-Any-Shout-Outs-Recently-And-Feel-Really-Bad-About-It. So, my thingy has been glitchy, so I will not do shout-outs this chapter, but there will be some the next chapter, and I'll make sure of that. :) I hope you enjoy this. **

**BY THE WAY: I am writing my own version of "The Night And The Fury" which I will probably start posting soon. It'll be somewhere around five chapters, ish, or something. **

**ONE IMPORTANT SHOUT-OUT TO Wanli8970 (Guest): I haven't heard from you for a while, and I am going to start writing "Seaworthy", but I have some questions that I need answering, and some suggestions I need you to approve. Flara is an interesting character, and I need to make sure I'm doing her right. If you see this, and could respond to it, I will ask you my questions in a shout-out for the next chapter. :) **

"So...Wyleah," said Hiccup, breaking the silence that had settled between the two of them. Wyleah nodded in his direction; a silent urge to continue. "What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked. "How did you come to being imprisoned by the Romans?"

Wyleah shrugged. "Angered a Centurion; what other reason?" he said. "I'm thirteen. How much could I do?"

"Thirteen?" said Hiccup. "You look older."

"I get that a lot," said Wyleah. "And so what about you?"

"What?" said Hiccup.

"How old are you?" Wyleah asked.

"Almost twenty one," said Hiccup.

"You look younger," said Wyleah.

"Funny, I get that a lot, too," said Hiccup. "So, Wyleah, what did you do before you were sent here?"

"Nothing much," said Wyleah. "What about you?"

"I was the Chief of Berk," said Hiccup. "But that was until...yeah, I gave myself up to those Lava Louts, and next thing you know...well...you know the story. I've already told you once."

Wyleah nodded. "Chief, huh?" he asked. When Hiccup nodded, he went on; "How long were you Chief before this happened?"

"Not _too _long," said Hiccup. "A few months, give or take...somewhere around seven or eight, I believe...I don't know. I really haven't been keeping track, you know."

Wyleah nodded. "Yeah, I guess I could see that," he said. "No reason to really, am I right?"

"Quite," said Hiccup. "So this fight takes place tomorrow, according to what the Centurion said." Wyleah nodded in agreement. "I might die tomorrow."

"You'll do it," said Wyleah. "I know I just met you, but I think you can do it. You are Chief of Berk, after all. You can't go dying on your people now, can you?"

"No, I guess I can't," said Hiccup. "And if I win the fight...I promise I'll come back and free you. No questions asked, Wyleah, I'll come back and free you from this prison. When you're free, you can come with me back to Berk, if I even find some way to leave. I can't exactly use..." He was about to say "dragon", but at that moment, he wasn't too intent on giving Wyleah all the details about how they had made peace with the dragons. "Maybe we can use a ship, or build a raft," Hiccup settled on saying.

"You know you don't have to, Toby," said Wyleah. "You could just escape yourself...I'll just burden you."

"No, I won't," said Hiccup, shaking his head before, while, and after he spoke. "I've already promised I'd come back, and that is a promise I intend to keep. I'll be back for you, Wyleah."

"Well, thanks," said Wyleah, "but you're not the first person who has promised me that. There have been others, you know...like yourself. They meet me, become friends, promise they'll take me with them when they escape, and then _somehow _escape and get away, completely forgetting about me."

"I won't do that," said Hiccup. He just met this boy, yet he felt pity for him. He was in the same boat as Hiccup was in, and sounded as though he had been in prison for a long time, too. Hiccup wanted to help him, and that was also something the young Chief of Berk was planning to do as well. "I will make sure you get out."

"Thanks," said Wyleah, but he still didn't sound certain.

He would help Wyleah escape, and escape himself as well, go back to Berk, and live life once again as it previously was.

And maybe, if he could just get Wyleah out alive, that was enough.

...

Astrid charged into the Great Hall, axe raised over her head, with a scream of fury. Valka, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Eret were right behind her, wielding their own weapons, running straight forward, making their presence known to all the Lava Louts in that building.

The Lava Louts _hadn't _been waiting for them; by the looks of it, they had been celebrating. Of course, as soon as the Berkians charged in, their dragons shortly in tow, they had sprung to their feet, weapons drawn and ready to be used.

The Berkians rammed into the Lava Louts with a horrible sound of metal against metal as they used their weapons to their advantage. The dragons helped in all the ways they knew how to, from blasting fireballs at the Lava Louts to swooping over them, grabbing them, and shaking them, causing them to drop their weapons, leaving them defenseless against the Berkians.

It was only seven Berkians and six dragons against a whole mess of Lava Louts, yet the dragon riders seemed to have the upper hand in the battle. Astrid was fighting for her best friend, Valka was fighting for her son, Snotlout was fighting for his cousin, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs were fighting for their friend, and Eret was fighting for their Chief. The dragons were following the examples set by their riders, attacking the Lava Louts at different bouts, using every single technique they knew against the tribe. It didn't take long before the Lava Louts were all dropping their weapons, surrendering to the Berkians.

Of course, they deserved no mercy, and Astrid was tempted not to give the any, but killing all the Lava Louts wasn't the way to settle something. She needed to find out where they were keeping Hiccup. After that, she really didn't care what happened to the Lava Louts. She figured they would either be killed for their crimes, or thrown into life-long prison for the same reason.

Astrid located the Chief among the crowd; he was clutching his leg, groaning in agony. Astrid stomped right up to him, the other Berkians and dragons hot on her heels. She aimed her axe at the Chief's neck, and clenched her teeth.

"Where are you keeping Hiccup?" she demanded, spitting out the words as if they were toxic. The Chief only groaned and cried out again; Astrid was losing her patience. She brought her axe even closer to the Chief, making him hold his breath.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Astrid hissed. "Where are you keeping Hiccup?"

"Not...'ith us, no 'ore," the Chief choked out. "Sold 'im...to _Romans_."

"Romans!?" Astrid shouting, withdrawing her axe. "You sold him to the _ROMANS!?_"

She would have questioned him further, but at that moment, just knowing where Hiccup was was enough. Making a silent note to return to Lava Lout island to give each and every Lava Lout what they deserved, she turned and headed back outside, followed by the Berkians and their dragons.

"Change of plans," said Astrid. "We're going to Rome."


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm a little author, who is mean, because I like to do really bad things to these characters. XD! ****Shout-outs:**

**TheLastNightFury777: TOTALLY! :D GO ASTRID! **

**Night Fury15: You're getting that, too? :D XD! Seriously, though. :D **

**Silver Electricity: SERIOUSLY! NO KIDDING! STAY AWAY FROM ASTRID, YOU LAVA LOUTS! **

**Wanli8970: Wow, I am so sorry. You don't have to answer the questions if you don't feel up to it. **

**HiccupHaddockIII: Thanks! :D **

Footsteps welcomed the ears of Hiccup and Wyleah the next day. Once they stopped, the Roman Centurion, Felix was standing in front of the cell, a ring of keys in one hand.

"We're ready to get you prepared, Toby," he said, sliding one specific key into lock, turning it, and opening it the door. He opened it, grabbed Hiccup's arm before the boy could go without being forced, and then yanked him out of the cell, shutting the door behind him.

"I'll be back, Wyleah," said Hiccup, just loud enough for Wyleah to hear. Wyleah nodded halfheartedly and then watched as Hiccup was lead away from the cell and back through the long corridor.

"The tribe will be here in an hour, Toby," said Felix. "You have until then to make yourself ready."

Hiccup didn't respond.

"And we have armor storages," said Felix, either ignoring the fact Hiccup hadn't spoken, or not noticing, or simply not caring either way. "I will escort you to the room in whence you can pick your shield and armor for the fight."

"When will I get my weapon back?" Hiccup growled, barely audible.

"Oh, so he speaks now, aye?" said Felix, raising an eyebrow. Hiccup knew it was a trick question, so he didn't answer it. "You will get your weapon back two or three minutes before the war starts," Felix answered.

"Why not now?" said Hiccup. "What am I going to do with it?"

"Askin' a lot of questions for your level, boy," said Felix, almost in a warning tone, although he sounded amused.

"You're giving me armor and a shield," said Hiccup. "Why not a sword?"

"You know, kid," said Felix, "you just need to stay in your place, and mind your own business."

"This _is _my business," said Hiccup, "clearly. Denying it would be ludicrous."

"Clever boy," said Felix. "You know, most Vikings I've come in contact with have been majorly stupid and obnoxious. You seem different, though. I have a good feeling about you, Toby. That's why I chose you to be my champion."

"Good feelings makes no decision more intelligent," said Hiccup. "You could be doing something completely and entirely unwise by having me fight."

"Smart," said Felix. "You're trying to plead for your life, I get it. But I think you'll be able to beat this guy, and when you do...well...let's say, the reward will be great."

"For whom?" said Hiccup. "To whom will it benefit most? You? Rome? Whom?"

"Now you need to mind your business," said Felix.

"It technically is my business, since I'm the one earning whatever it is you will receive," said Hiccup. "You cannot deny it, can you?"

"Some people just don't know their place, and you're obviously one of them," Felix grumbled, just barely loud enough for Hiccup to hear him. "Just keep walking, Toby, and then soon, you will fight, whether you want to or not," said the Roman Centurion.

"And what of that?" said Hiccup. "I'll fight until one of us dies? Is that the entire point of this thing? A fight to the death?"

"Yes, quite," said Felix. "It has been a while since we have had something as entertaining. Don't you think so, Toby?"

"I think it's sickening, if you ask for my opinion," said Hiccup. "Which, might I point out, you did. So...if you want to _sever _me now, instead of having me be killed in the fight _later_-"

Felix laughed. "You know, Toby," he said, "someday, you'll learn to _enjoy _what we Romans do for fun."

"Somehow or another, I have a hard time believing that," said Hiccup.

"Oh, don't worry," said Felix. "You'll understand everything. Soon."

When they finally came to the end of the corridor, there was another door on the left hand side of the wall, locked from the outside. Felix took another key from his ring and unlocked the door, swinging it open shortly after. Without waiting for a response from Hiccup, he pushed the Berkian in and slammed the door, locking it afterwards.

"One hour," said Felix. "Be ready by then."

Hiccup heard footsteps of the Roman Centurion leaving. As soon as they could be heard no longer, Hiccup slammed his body weight up against the door. It didn't budge. He tried again, receiving the same reaction as before. So, he couldn't break down the door, but there had to be _some _way to get out.

He turned around to assess the room. Just as the Centurion had said; shields, armor, yet no weapons whatsoever. The room itself was constructed from solid brick, with no other door besides the impenetrable one.

Hiccup walked over to one of the shields and picked it up, testing its weight. An hour. That's how long they had given him before the battle actually started. One hour to make ready.

And Hiccup was going to make ready. Just maybe not in the sense the Romans would have had him.

He chose another shield, this one with a coat of metal covering both the front and back. And so the Romans didn't think that shields counted as weapons, did they? Well, Hiccup intended to prove them wrong. And he would, in one hour exactly, when the guards came back for him.

If he couldn't break down the door, and there were no other doors anywhere to be seen, then the only way Hiccup would get out of the room would be to fight his way out.

And yes, he could do that, as soon as that door opens, and the Centurion walked in to take him. Shields were a weapon; Hiccup used that Gronckle Iron shield to take down Dagur. Shields were weapons, and he knew that.

But apparently the Romans didn't know that, and that was just his advantage.

Sitting down on a crate of armor, Hiccup waited. He kept his leather armor; all the other armor would be too heavy. Besides, if he was going to run after fighting with the shield, he didn't need extra weight keeping him from going as fast as he could.

One hour. He started counting down.


	10. Chapter 10

**Shout-outs to you people who are more awesome than I: **

**TheLastNightFury777: Yaaaaaasssssss. :) **

**Wanli8970: Okay, I was just wondering; if Hiccup was hurt, how would Flara take it? (After he gains her trust, of course). And then, when Hiccup returns to Berk (since I think he will), should Flara do something where she makes Hiccup promise to never tell anyone about her home island? Thanks for answering these for me. :) **

One hour was up before he knew it, quite possibly because of how eager he was to get away from the Romans and Rome itself as well. Plus, if he could take out Felix, who had the keys to the prison cells, he could also go back and save Wyleah like he had promised to.

And so when the first footsteps were heard, Hiccup was instantly on his feet, ready to put his plan into action. It would be easy; whack the Roman Centurion with his shield, knock him out, take the keys, get Wyleah, and escape. Hiccup pressed himself against the wall next to the door and waited for just the right moment.

As soon as he heard the key slide into the lock, he held his breath. It was now or never. If he didn't escape before the fight, chances were, he would never escape at all. He counted mentally to himself; one second, two seconds, three seconds-

The door opened, and Hiccup made his move. Without even taking a second to look at the person opening the door, he slammed the shield forward, smacking the man on the head. He crumpled to the ground, and just for a moment, Hiccup thought he was unconscious.

Keyword: _thought_.

It was Felix, just as Hiccup had known it would be. So, he quickly reached down and yanked the keyring from Felix's grip. He pocketed it, and looked back at the Roman Centurion. Felix stood up slowly, and looked at Hiccup with a warning glare in his eyes.

"You want to fight me?" said Felix. "Two can play at this game."

Hiccup turned and ran up the stairs, Felix hot on his heels. Okay, so he was going in the _wrong _direction; he was _supposed _to be heading back to get Wyleah out of that cell, but instead, he was heading who-knew-where.

_Just leave Wyleah_, part of his mind said. _It's not like you care about him or anything. You just met him and everything. Leave him behind. All he'll do is slow you down_.

Hiccup mentally scolded himself for thinking such things; no _way _he would leave Wyleah there. No, not after he promised; not after seeing that teeny tiny little bit of hope flash in the thirteen-year-old's face when Hiccup said he would get him out.

Hiccup heard the distinct sound of metal against metal; he looked behind him just in time to watch Felix yank his sword out of its sheath, his eyes alight with a wild fire that would have made anyone run for cover.

"You can't run forever, Toby!" Felix shouted. "Sooner or later, you'll give up!"

"Funny!" Hiccup could have laughed. "I was just about to say the same thing about you!"

As if on cue, more soldiers filled the area ahead of Hiccup, blocking his way. Hiccup turned around, finding himself face to face with Felix, the Roman's hands on his knees, panting from running up the steps.

Well, this was a chance, and Hiccup was going to take it. He ran in Felix's direction, knocked the sword out of his hand with the shield, grabbed it, and continued running.

"STOP HIM!" Felix shouted. "Stop him, somebody!"

_Not today_, Hiccup thought. More guards were coming in the direction he was running; he turned and ran down another tunnel, the guards coming full-speed, weapons drawn and at the ready, after him.

_Not today, not today, not today, _Hiccup said to himself over and over and over again. If he could just get away from these guards...if he could _just_ get out of the prison, then maybe..._maybe_, he could hide and wait until nightfall to get Wyleah out.

Behind him, the guards were shouting; Felix was screaming at them to stop him, but it wasn't like Hiccup was paying them any heed. He focused only on the area ahead of him, noting how dark it had become, and continued running, choosing different tunnels at different bouts, desperate and almost frantic to lose the soldiers that were gaining so rapidly upon him.

Hiccup ducked when the tunnel became lower; the guards behind him were doing the same, but it wasn't as easy for them as it was for Hiccup. Hiccup turned another corner, and headed down the opposite tunnel. He was ahead of the guards; maybe this was his chance to lose them altogether.

The guards all turned and ran down the opposite corridor, and Hiccup released a breath he wasn't aware of holding. He waited until he was sure the soldiers were gone to emerge from his hiding spot.

Just as he did, someone grabbed him. He just barely resisted the urge to shriek as he found himself face-to-face with the Roman Centurion.

"Hello, Toby," said Felix. Then, he raised the sword a soldier had given to him, and aimed for a blow that Hiccup knew would knock him unconscious, and probably injure him severely. Hiccup ducked out of the way and put his shield up, the sword colliding with the metal with a horrific _CLASH _that echoed throughout the long tunnels and corridors. Felix aimed another blow, once more connecting with the shield, still holding onto Hiccup's arm tightly.

"Don't make me kill you now, Toby," said Felix, "and don't think I won't. It would be my pleasure."

Hiccup twisted his arm, forcing Felix to release him. Felix recoiled in shock, shouting something in Latin; one of the words Hiccup wasn't sure what it meant. Then, Felix took up his weapon, and charged.

Hiccup parried with him, completely forgetting about the shield and dropping it to wrap his other hand around the hilt to his sword, so he was holding it with both hands, pushing against Felix's blade. Felix growled, and then yanked backwards, going for stabbing Hiccup right then and there, probably without thinking about what he was doing.

Hiccup managed to jump out of the way, only to crash into another soldier who yanked the sword out of his grip and pinned his arms at his sides. Hiccup struggled, but it was no good. Felix looked at the soldier, and then to Hiccup once more.

"You're ready," he said. "And just in time."


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, so I don't want to say this, mainly because I don't want you all to kill me... **

**Oh, wait, that's right. You guys won't kill me because then you'll never find out what happens! Bwahahahahahaaa! **

**Just wanted you all to know, that this is the only update I will be able to do until Monday evening. So, just so you all know. Shout-outs then. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter for what it's worth. BYE! :D **

The flight to Rome was strangely smooth and filled with anxiety and unanswered questions. Astrid couldn't stop thinking. Hiccup was in _Rome _with people whom he had been _sold _to. Who knew what the Romans were doing to him? Part of Astrid was even afraid to find out.

No one spoke, but questions were racing through their heads; what would they do when they landed in Rome? What would their plan be? How would they find Hiccup? Would they even find him at all? What if the Romans killed him? What if he was hurt? What if...what if...there were so many what ifs.

They landed on Rome as soon as it was in sight; and it was _massive_. Not too big, but still, about three or four times the size of Berk, and looked very intimidating with buildings and towers.

"Well, this is a comparison to that Lava Lout place for _sure_," Snotlout whistled, shaking his head and looking around the place. "This place is _awesome_."

"We're not here to sightsee," said Astrid. "We're here to get Hiccup, and then get out. If you want to, Snotlout, you can come back in your own time and get yourself killed, but not right now."

Snotlout suddenly didn't look so excited.

Astrid and the others dismounted, drawing their weapons once more, looking around them for any soldiers that could have spotted them when they flew in on their dragons; but no one seemed to be around.

"That's strange," said Astrid. "Where is everybody? If I didn't know better, I would say that this place is abandoned."

"Not abandoned," said Fishlegs, raising a finger as he spoke matter-of-factly. "Actually, when a large event is held, lots of people go to see it. And if they have Hiccup, and know he can train dragons-"

"Then there could be a 'large event'," said Valka, finishing the thought for Fishlegs. Fishlegs nodded. "Come on!" said Valka urgently. "We have to find Hiccup, before something bad happens to him!"

She turned and raced in the opposite direction, followed closely by the others and their dragons.

...

Hiccup hated fights to the death as much as the next person, and he _especially _hated it when the whole of Rome was there, watching his every move.

He stood at one side of a large arena, where the soldiers had taken him after his re-capture, and clicked Inferno. True to his word, Felix did return to Hiccup his fire sword, which Hiccup now wielded with confidence in his face, fear in his heart.

He looked to the other side of the arena, where his challenger was standing. He was a tall, burly man with a complete set of armor, shield, and sword that was about as long as Hiccup was tall. He was intimidating, but Hiccup didn't let that get to him. Looks were often deceiving; he wasn't _about _to start doubting his chances of survival before they were even laid out.

"Men of Rome!" Felix addressed the crowd. "And visiting Meatheads! I give you, the yearly fight against Rome's champion, and the Meathead's champion."

The crowd roared with anticipation. Hiccup swallowed, gripping his sword a little tighter.

"I give you the Meathead challenger," said Felix, "Robundagus!"

The challenger, or, Robundagus, lifted his sword over his head and shouted something to the crowd in Latin. He did a terrible job; Hiccup didn't even understand what he was saying, and it was quite obvious he had tried to learn something for today's fight; and yet the audience didn't seem to care whether or not they could understand a word he was saying. They clapped and cheered for the Meathead until settling down once more.

"And I give you the Roman Challenger," said Felix, "Tobias!"

Hiccup swallowed hard as the crowd clapped. He felt sick. This entire affair was sickening; that's all it was.

"You all know the rules," said Felix. "A fight to the death! The method used does not matter at all. The last man standing will be greatly rewarded, and the tribe he belongs to will be equally so. Start the fight in THREE...TWO...ONE...NOW!"

Although it was entirely against his own will, Hiccup found himself charging, his attacker doing the same. Their weapons smashed against each other with a clash that echoed throughout the arena, almost ringing in Hiccup's ears. Sparks flew from Inferno as Robundagus' weapon slid against the sword until finally he withdrew and went in for another strike.

Hiccup jumped to the side, nearly dropping Inferno in the process. His challenger was on him once more, doing everything in his power to try and kill the young Berkian.

Hiccup ducked as the sword sailed over his head. He thrusted his sword arm forward, burning Robundagus' hand with the fire that lapped over the blade. Robundagus withdrew his hand and shouted once again in bad Latin before charging once more.

Hiccup was pushed to the ground; he rolled to the side when Robundagus tried to impale him. The sword sank into the ground where Hiccup was a second ago, and Robundagus grunted as he yanked it out and tried once again. Hiccup rolled to the opposite side, Robundagus missing once more, his sword sinking into the dirt again.

While yanking his weapon out of the Earth, Hiccup kicked him in the shin, recollected Inferno, and ran. He ran until he reached the far end of the arena, turning around just in time to see Robundagus running in his direction, sword raised over his head in obvious fury.

Hiccup sank to the ground as the sword _flew _from Robundagus' hand; he had thrown it at him. That merciless Meathead just _threw _his sword at Hiccup. Hiccup grabbed the sword before Robundagus could grab it once more, and then threw it in the opposite direction. Robundagus' sword clattered on the ground a few feet away, but Robundagus' steps didn't slow, nor did they falter. He smashed into Hiccup, the shield in between the two men.

Hiccup could have _sworn _he heard one of his ribs crack. Inferno slipped from his grip and fell to the ground beside him, the flame distinguishing, and suddenly, he couldn't breathe. The oxygen was knocked out of his lungs, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't draw more in. Only one thought rushed through his head:

_I am going to die. _


	12. Chapter 12

***peaks out from behind rock* Yeah, I'm back! :D Now you're going to _kill _me for this next cliffhanger! *hides again* **

"FIGHT, TOBY, FIGHT!" Felix shouted.

As if Hiccup actually _needed _to be told that. He sucked in a breath as Robundagus pushed him up against the wall once more. No, he wasn't going to die. He couldn't die. Wyleah needed him. Wyleah _needed _him to survive, or else the boy would be in prison, probably for the rest of his life.

Hiccup just barely _\- just, just barely _\- managed to push his leg up and kick Robundagus' kneecap..._hard_. Robundagus cried out and stumbled backwards, releasing Hiccup in the process. Hiccup sank to the ground gasping, before he realized Robundagus was charging again. He grabbed his sword, reignited the flame, and then ran.

"Don't run!" Felix shouted. "Kill him, Toby! Sever him! Impale him!"

_Kill him. Sever him. Impale him._ It was enough to make someone sick. Hiccup froze for just a split second. If Robundagus didn't kill him, then that meant that Hiccup would have to kill Robundagus, or else they would just keep battling forever and ever and ever.

Before he could think about something else, he yanked his sword away and lunged. He didn't know what he was thinking; it was ignorant, that's what it was, just _jumping _onto his attacker like that but it seemed to have worked. The shield flew from Robundagus' grip, and the soldier fell to the ground, flat on his back. Hiccup jumped to his feet once more, and then grabbed Robundagus' shield, standing in between the Meathead, and the Meathead's sword. He couldn't let Robundagus get that weapon again.

"Some champion you got there!" the Meathead Chief laughed at Felix, gawking and pointing at Hiccup. "The boy looks like he's going to be sick!"

Robundagus, although he was weaponless and defenseless, lunged. Hiccup was too distracted by Felix and the Meathead Chief to be able to react accordingly. Robundagus tripped him, slamming him to the ground. Inferno flew from Hiccup's grasp, the shield doing the same.

_Now _he was going to die.

Robundagus tried to speak Latin again, failing miserably. The only words Hiccup got out were, _Hate, Roman, Kill _and _Dead. _

None of them sounded very promising.

Robundagus looked at his sword, leaped off Hiccup, and ran for it. Hiccup got to his feet, but before he could do anything else, pain exploded in his abdomen. He couldn't speak; he couldn't shout; he couldn't move at all. He wanted to scream, but his voice wasn't working. He couldn't move. He couldn't scream. He couldn't _think_. The pain was too much.

He felt something slide out of him...it sounded strange, but that's what he felt. He fell to his knees and looked at Robundagus, standing over the Berkian warrior, laughing, his sword raised over his head, his cheerings and boastings muffled. The crowds were cheering; Hiccup could hardly hear them. His vision was blurry, tears stinging his eyes, just because it hurt so much. He looked one last time at Robundagus, and saw his sword was coated by a fine layer of blood.

Hiccup's blood.

Robundagus had stabbed him.

Well, then it made sense, actually, why it hurt so badly. He wrapped his arms around his stomach and fell sideways, hitting the ground, yet not caring. He could almost _feel _himself slipping; he was going to die. That was it. That was the end of the rider of the Night Fury, Dragon Master, Chief of Berk; because Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was going to die.

Then, the strangest thing happened. The muffled whoops and waves of Robundagus in all his victory were cut short by the scream and warcry of a certain girl Hiccup recognized.

But that was impossible. Astrid was on Berk...right...?

He heard shouting; screaming; metal against metal. He heard the roars of dragons, although he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and find out for himself. He heard someone shout, but it didn't sound like Astrid. It sounded like Snotlout.

Was he there, too? What was going on?

He heard Ruffnut and Tuffnut's voices, and then more metal against metal as some sort of horrific battle went on. He tried to open his eyes, but found himself unable to. His body wasn't cooperating. Even if Astrid and the others had managed to get to Rome, he knew there was no way he could _possibly_ survive the trip back to Berk.

Someone touched him, and he finally found his voice. The first thing he did was scream; what else could he do? He didn't know what was going on, nor could he form words. When he finally managed to stop screaming, he was gasping for breath, trying to drag oxygen into his lungs. He heard someone speaking to him, but their voice was muffled.

"Stay...no, no, no...don't...Hiccup!" Those were the only words he could make out, and they were spoken in a thick, sticky voice that he recognized belonged to Astrid. She sounded as though she had been crying. Hiccup still couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, nor could he bring himself to speak. Something else touched him, and he screamed once more. That was the only thing he could do, and even then it was just because it was a natural thing for his body to do when in pain.

He suddenly thought about Wyleah. No, he couldn't die without the Berkians knowing where he was. He couldn't break his promise to him.

"Wy...Wyleah..." Hiccup choked out. Speaking was even harder than he had thought it would have been, but he forced himself to do it, ignoring all the extra excruciating pain it caused him. "Go...free...him. _Please..._"

"Who, Hiccup?" said the voice of Fishlegs. "I don't understand."

"Prison..." Hiccup said. "Keys...Centurion...promise..."

"Hiccup, you need to stop talking," said Astrid. "I think you're going into shock."

"Wyleah..." Hiccup mumbled. He wasn't _about _to leave him. No, he wasn't going into shock...was he? He didn't know what was going on, still. "Get him...out of...prison."

"Wait!" said Snotlout. "He's saying, I think, that there's someone in prison he wants us to free. And...keys and centurion? Are the keys with the Roman Centurion?"

Hiccup nodded, the action causing more pain. At that moment, he made a promise to himself that he would personally thank Snotlout for being the first to realize what he was talking about.

"I'll go get the prisoner," said Astrid. "You guys stay here."

Hiccup was vaguely aware of footsteps, getting fainter and fainter. Then, something touched him again, and he screamed. The third time, though, he blacked out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Last chapter was sketchy and weird...sorry about that. So, to clear it up, this chapter is in Astrid's POV, since that last chapter in Hiccup's POV didn't exactly...explain things all that well. It was intentional, too. So this is just the previous chapter in Astrid's POV. :) And yes, I am fully aware that that last cliffhanger really probably made you all mad... **

**SORRY. **

**This one, I don't know if it is worse, or better. I really, truly don't know. I'll leave it to you guys to determine. :) Enjoy this chapter, and probably hate the cliffhanger, but ya know me. I always leave ya'll on cliffie thingies. :D Enjoy! :D **

They heard shouts come from an arena-like building. As soon as they heard it, they ran. Astrid ran, followed by the others in close pursuit. They reached the arena, and peered over the edge, trying to see past the crowd of people watching.

"Robundagus takes the game!" shouted a deep, scratchy voice. "Tobias is as good as dead!"

_Tobias? Who was Tobias? _she thought wildly.

"Come on," she said. "We have to get a closer look." She took a step forward, but Snotlout grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Are you crazy!?" he said, his voice a harsh whisper. "It's us against a whole bunch of Romans!"

"I know," said Astrid. "The Romans don't stand a chance."

She turned without another word, and then ran towards a ramp, leading downwards into the arena. She trecked down it, the others and dragons in close pursuit. She came to a gate, blocking their way in, so she hacked at the hinges with her axe until they snapped, the door falling forward. She sprang into the arena with a scream of war, the others following her example closely.

The Romans weren't ready; none of them had brought their weapons (save Felix, some guards, and the Meathead Chief), and so when the dragons started firing at them from below, there was nothing they could do except run. Felix called guards to take down Astrid and the other Berkians, and they raced forward.

"ATTACK!" Snotlout shouted.

Astrid looked at the guards approaching; there were ten of them. No problem. With another scream of war, she met them head on. She smacked one of them with her axe, sending him sprawling a few feet away. She moved over and banged the flat of her axe against his head, knocking him unconscious instantly. She turned around, seeing the dragons firing at the audience and the Berkians fighting off the soldiers.

"TAKE THAT!" Ruffnut shouted.

"And some of THAT!" Tuffnut agreed.

Then, Astrid turned around and saw a burly figure run towards her.

_He must be Robundagus_, she thought, _if he really took the game_. She ran to meet him, and they met him in battle. He was good, but so was she, and more than that; Astrid was absolutely _enraged_. She was enraged. She felt adrenaline coursing through her veins, anger and hatred piercing her mind. These people had taken Hiccup from the Lava Louts, and the Lava Louts had taken Hiccup away from her.

No one got away with that.

So, she smashed Robundagus' head with the flat of her axe, and the soldier stumbled backwards, clutching his skull and screaming in agony. Then, instead of fighting her once more, he turned, dropped his weapon, and ran out one of the corridors, where many of the audience members had already left.

But they weren't leaving for good. They were leaving to get weapons and then come back and fight. That's all they were doing. Astrid _despised _every single one of them.

Then, a Roman Centurion came at her, and almost cut her in half. She turned around just in time to parry with him to save her life. He looked mad; but not just in the angry sense. Also in the crazy sense, just a tad.

He said something in Latin, and she didn't understand him. That was one of her flaws; she couldn't speak Latin. Hiccup had tried to talk her into learning, but she never did. Now, she kind of wished she could.

She swung her axe and tripped the Centurion; he fell face first on the dirt before recollecting himself and coming back for more. Astrid sidestepped as he charged, and then picked up the shield Robundagus had dropped. Instead of taking the Centurion in a fight once more, she hurled the shield at him. It collided with the Roman just as he was coming back to attack, and he crumpled to the ground, either unconscious or dead.

She turned around, feeling pleased with herself, until she looked down. The Berkians had already fought off their soldiers, and were now crouched around a body. Astrid dropped her axe, her rage shrinking down into something she could hold onto for that time being, and then raced forward.

It was Hiccup, and he wasn't in good shape. He was curled into himself on his side breathing heavily, his arms wrapped around his stomach, blood covering his hands and abdomen. Astrid knelt down slowly, and then touched his shoulder in an attempt to push him on his back, but he screamed, and she withdrew her hand. Then, when his screaming turned into gasping, Astrid inhaled.

"Stay awake, Hiccup..." she begged. She felt tears sting her eyes, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold them back if she tried. "No, no, no, don't die, don't die...Hiccup!" She tried rolling him over again, and he screamed once more. And then, before Astrid could ask anything else, he spoke.

"Wy...Wyleah..." he wheezed, his voice sounding terribly weak and scratchy. "Go...free...him. _Please..._"

"Who, Hiccup?" Fishlegs spoke up. Astrid looked at him, and realized he was trying desperately to keep himself calm. "I don't understand."

"Prison..." Hiccup whispered, his eyes still squeezed shut. "Keys...Centurion...promise..."

"Hiccup, you need to stop talking," said Astrid. The tears were falling now, and there was no stopping them, no matter how hard she tried. "I think you're going into shock."

"Wyleah..." Hiccup said, once more. Who was that? Wyleah? Astrid had never heard that name before in her entire life. "Get him...out of...prison."

"Wait!" said Snotlout so suddenly that Astrid actually jumped. "He's saying, I think, that there's someone in the prison he wants us to free. And...keys and centurion? Are the keys with the Roman Centurion?"

Hiccup nodded quickly.

"I'll go get the prisoner," said Astrid, rising to a stand. "You guys stay here." She couldn't bear to see Hiccup in pain, and besides, she knew she could go faster than Snotlout and the twins could, and it was obvious Valka wasn't _about _to leave, and Fishlegs would probably be too worried to do it himself. And so she turned and ran, snatched the keyring from Felix's belt, and then headed down another corridor. She could hear Hiccup scream once more, and she ran faster.

If she didn't hurry so they could leave, she knew Hiccup would die.


	14. Chapter 14

**One cliffhanger, two cliffhanger, red cliffhanger, blue cliffhanger! Whoopedy dooooo! :D Shout-outs the next chapter. :) Enjoy! :D **

Now or never. That's what it was. It was now or never.

Astrid ran down the corridor, down more steps, steep ones and small ones, until she came to flat ground again. She didn't falter; she ran straight until she came to the prison chamber. Cells littered the walls, a musty stench of rusty metal hanging in the air, toying with her senses. The air was misty and foggy, rather terrible smelling and hard to breathe in. Even then she didn't stop. This was for Hiccup.

So, she looked into each cell individually, searching for some sign of life. She found none in the first, none in the second, none in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, until _finally_, at the seventh cell and after what felt like forever, she found a boy.

"Are you...um...Wyleah?" she said. The boy turned in her direction, and it was quite obvious he didn't understand a word of what she was saying. He was a Roman; of course he didn't. He spoke Latin. Was there something she could say in order to make him understand she was here to get him out?

"Tobias," Astrid remembered what that Meathead guy had called Hiccup. "Tobias...me...friend."

Wyleah looked at her strangely. Instead of trying again, Astrid took the keys and unlocked his cell. She swung the door open, and then motioned for him to follow her. Then, she took off, back up the steps, Wyleah in tow.

When they made it back to open air, they heard shouts; the Romans were returning, and they sounded mad. Astrid and Wyleah ran back to the dragons and riders. Hiccup was unconscious now, sitting in front of Valka on Cloudjumper, Valka keeping her arms wrapped around Hiccup's waist to keep him in the saddle. She was also pushing a thick cloth to the stab wound, trying to stem the bleeding by putting pressure on the wound.

Romans started to show up; Astrid grabbed Wyleah's arm when he hesitated and dragged him over to Stormfly. He shouted something in Latin and struggled against her grip, but she held tight. She wasn't going to let go of him. Nope, not by a long shot.

She jumped on Stormfly and managed to yank Wyleah on behind her, although he struggled like mad. She nodded to the other riders, already mounted on their dragons, and then all at once, they took to the sky, and were airborne.

They had to get back to Berk...before it was too late.

...

Hiccup wasn't sure what was going on, but it certainly wasn't good, of course. He felt wind blowing against his face, but found it impossible to move at all. His mind felt fuzzy, and he was confused.

What had happened?

Then it came flooding back to him all at once; the fight...the stabbing...the figure of Robundagus standing over him, laughing as Hiccup collapsed to the ground...being rescued by the Berkians...all of it. He suddenly wondered...had they saved Wyleah after all? Was he okay? Were the others all okay?

He couldn't open his eyes, move, or speak at all; his body wasn't cooperating with him. His thinking process slowed dramatically, and he found himself lost in a pool of his own thoughts. He felt dizzy, his mind drifting to random subjects at strange bouts, unable to stay focused for even more than a few seconds.

He heard voices; familiar voices, speaking to each other, trying to speak to him, but he couldn't make out a single word they were saying, nor could he find himself able to respond, or ask them to repeat their questions.

"Is he awake?" He finally managed to make out three words someone spoke; it sounded like Astrid, her voice sounding thick and strained, almost as if she had been crying.

"I don't think so," said the voice of Valka. It sounded closer, and less muffled, yet at the same time, barely distinguishable. "But he's alive."

Who were they talking about?

Oh wait.

Right.

Him.

Okay, so his mind was more jumbled than he originally thought it was. His body felt numb, even in his state of semi-consciousness. He tried to open his eyes; to speak; to do _something_, but he couldn't move at all. It felt...wrong. Strange, as if he didn't have control over his own body, which, apparently, after another attempt of moving, the barely conscious boy decided he _didn't_.

He felt himself slipping again, his consciousness being sucked out of him unnaturally. It was a force he had learned from previous experiences that he couldn't fight, try as he might. And so once more, he was oblivious to the world.

…

The second time he woke up, someone was shaking him desperately, saying his name over and over again, trying to get him to respond. He felt rainwater drip all over his face and body; they must have been in the middle of a downpour. Someone shook him again, and called out to him yet another cracked his eyes open just for a second before they slid shut once more, feeling too heavy to stay open.

"Stay awake!" someone shouted at him, but their voice was hard to understand, almost as if they were speaking underwater. "You have to stay awake!"

"It's hopeless…" said another voice that sounded distinctly like it belonged to Snotlout. "Look at him, Valka! He's already lost so much blood...I'd be surprised if he opens his eyes again at all!"

"Don't...you _dare _talk like that," said a very enraged Astrid. "He'll make it! We just have to get back home, and everything will be fine!"

"But Berk is still nearly two days away!" said Fishlegs; his voice was frantic and an octave higher than usual. "He'll never make it!"

"There...there has to be somewhere we can land!" said Valka. "We have to do something!"

"Like what!?" said Snotlout. "There's nothing we can do!"

"THANK YOU, MR. RAY OF SUNSHINE!" shouted Astrid, her voice thick with sarcasm. "WE LOVE _YOUR _COMPANY!"

"This is not the time, guys!" shouted Valka. "We have to do something, NOW!"

Hiccup was confused. He wasn't sure exactly what was happening, and he didn't have time to find out. Before he could try to move, speak or open his eyes, he was pulled back into unconsciousness, hearing five last little words before he did:

"He's not going to live."

**Aaaaand the cliffhangers strike again. So sorry about that. Hey, on a lighter note, I was going to tell you all a pizza joke, but then I realized it was too cheesy…OKAY, I'm done with the puns for now. So sorry about the puns, and the cliffhangers. Until the next cliffhanger, this is BeyondTheClouds777! :) **


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello. Shout-out time, yay! :D Shout-outs: **

**Wanli8970: Oh, wow...well, sorry about the cliffhangers, and I don't think I have anymore questions. I would like to leave the rest a surprise. (he he he) Thanks for letting me use Flara! I think I'll start posting Seaworthy once I'm done with this one (this one should have about three more chapters left, and then an epilogue). :) Thanks so much! :D **

**TheLastNightFury777: Ugh, yeah, Cliffhangers...I apparently love them. :D **

**Omegaman17: Oh...no, I don't think I want to face the wrath of Omegaman17 if it's all the same to you. :D **

**silverwolvesarecool: Thanks! :D **

**Silver Electricity: SERIOUSLY HICCUP! I know it's my fault, but stop getting hurt! Here, Silver Electricity, have some COOOOOFFFEEEEEEE! :D **

**ElskaHiksti: Thanks, and here's an update! :D **

**LissanFuryEye: That's good, because I LOVE them! :D **

**HiccupHaddockIII: Thanks so much! :D :D **

**Night Fury15: Was NOT expecting that reaction. XD! Thanks for reviewing! :D **

**xFaerieValkyriex: YES HICCUP YESSSSS! :D **

**Guest: Thank you for reviewing! Now let me leave you on another cliffhanger! :D Just kidding!...kinda. **

**AnimeAngel: Seriously, Snotlout? Why you gotta be so _rude!? _(LOL) **

**freyathefearless: Yes, Come Little Children is based off of your suggestion, with a little BeyondTheClouds777 flare thrown into it...and yes, it does take place before HTTYD2. I love Fatherly!Stoick. :D **

As soon as Hiccup slipped back into unconsciousness, the riders started panicking again.

"What do we do now!?" shouted Ruffnut. The downpour was getting worse and worse by the second, lightning crashing and thunder booming in the distance, their actions seeming to rattle the sky and ocean every few moments.

"Land somewhere, obviously!" said Eret. "I don't think we have much time left!"

Astrid took Stormfly ahead of the others, searching for a place to land. Really, at this point, she didn't care where it was or what it was as long as they found it before it was too late. Wyleah had ceased his struggling, because he dubbed it pointless, now deciding to instead hold onto Astrid for dear life as the Nadderhead dragon shot over the ocean.

She searched for roughly ten minutes, until...FINALLY. There it was; a small, sea-stack like island right there. Astrid was so relieved, she could have screamed in joy...until she realized that there was a small house on the island.

For a few seconds, she was worried that whoever lived there wouldn't let them stay on the isle at all; but then when she thought about it more, they didn't have another option. If they didn't land and get help, Hiccup was going to die.

So she turned and flew Stormfly in the opposite direction, heading back towards the other riders and their dragons. She met up with them, and hovered in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

"There's an island," said Astrid, "not too far from here. I think we can make it, but we have to hurry." She turned Stormfly once more and lead the way, the other Berkians following her and the dragon quickly. They came back to the sea-stack and landed on top of it, dismounting afterwards.

Valka cradled Hiccup in her arms as the others raced to the door of the house, banging on it with their fists. They needed some _actual _help if they were going to survive. The wind was growing swift and cold; it wouldn't be long before it started snowing.

"LET US IN!" Astrid shouted.

"Go 'way!" shouted an angry voice from inside the abode. "We don' wanna deal with you ungrateful little pests!"

"You have to let us in!" Snotlout shouted.

"Na-uh!" said the same voice. "Not happenin'! You might as well scram, kids!"

Astrid drew her axe. If it came to breaking down the door, she had absolutely no problem with that.

"See here," she snarled, "if you don't let us in, there will be consequences."

"Yeah!" Ruffnut agreed.

"ANOTHER one!?" the man shouted from inside. "How many of you beggars are there!?"

"We're not beggars!" Astrid shouted. "You have to let us in! Our friend is dying!"

"Then your friend may as well die!" said the man. She heard footsteps, and then a loud, long door slam; she didn't hear another sound come from the man. He must have exited the room.

Astrid felt enraged. She was just about to start hacking at the door with her axe, when it opened miraculously, her axe in mid-strike. In the threshold of the door stood a woman of about Astrid's own age, her hair brown and in neat double braids down her shoulders. Her eyes were mud brown, and she was a little on the short side, her face littered with freckles, her skin alarmingly pale.

She looked behind her, and then back at the Berkians. "My brother doesn' like people like you," she said, her voice thick with an accent, "bu' I don' mind ya. Come in, please." She stepped aside and allowed the Berkians to enter, the dragons remaining outside for what it was worth. As soon as they were all in, the girl shut the door once more.

"Into the guest bedroom, quickly," she said. "Follow me." She turned and walked down a short hallway, coming to stop in front of a doorless frame that was clearly meant for a door. She walked inside, motioning for the others to do the same.

"So, we didn't exactly get your name," said Astrid.

"Rebecca," said the girl. "What's wrong with your friend?"

"He was stabbed," said Astrid.

"Yes, indeed, that much is rather apparent," said Rebecca, "but how?"

"It was a Roman blade, however it happened," said Astrid.

"Roman blade," Rebecca whistled. "Those nasty things is trick'y, but I thin' I can do somethin' to help ya'll." She moved around the room, digging through boxes at different bouts. "Star' by tellin' me yer names, aye?" she said.

"My name is Astrid," said Astrid. "This is Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Eret, Valka...and Wyleah, right?" Wyleah nodded. "And then the hurt one's Hiccup."

"Strange names," Rebecca commented. "Lots o' them 're strange. A'course, it's somethin' I'm quite used to." She laid a blanket out on the floor, and then motioned to Valka. Valka carefully knelt down, laying Hiccup's limp form in front of her.

"Roman blades," Rebecca spat. "_Hate _them dirty things. Make me sick, they do."

"But you can help him, right?" Snotlout asked.

"Mey'be," said Rebecca. "Keep yer fingers crossed. It ain't gonna be no walk in the sunshine."

She came back to them a moment later, her arms filled with bandages and small bags of herbs. She set them beside her, kneeling down in front of Hiccup, across from Valka. The others gathered around their friend, worry evident on their faces.

Rebecca ignored them, lifting Hiccup's shirt slightly and undoing the bandages with confident fingers. The others watched with bated breath, wondering what it was going to bring.

Rebecca hissed and almost snarled at the wound. "Doesn' look like Roman blade ta' me," she said. "Looks more like a Meathead wound."

"It quite possibly is," said Astrid. She recalled the time she had heard that voice shouting of Robundagus' victory. It hadn't been in Latin; it had been in Norse, meaning that whoever shouted it wasn't a Roman. Robundagus looked like he could have come from the Meathead tribe, what with his sturdy build and all.

"So we don' really know what kind o' blade he was stabbed with, aye?" Rebecca asked. Astrid shook her head. "Very well," said Rebecca. "Looks like a Meathead wound to me, so I guess we'll have to handle it accordingly. Did any of ya see the weapon he was stabbed with?"

"I did, sort of," said Snotlout.

"Can you describe it to me, lad?" Rebecca asked.

"It was...um...rusty looking," said Snotlout. "But it was coated in blood, so I couldn't tell much."

"Aye," Rebecca growled under her breath. "Sounds like a Meathead weapon to me. They don' take pride in their weaponry, I tell ya. Lettin' their blades get all rusty and useless, and then expecting' them ta do good in battle? Mercy, that tribe is made up of _idiots_."

"Can we do anything?" Astrid offered.

"Well, you can start by leavin' the room," said Rebecca. "This is gonna be a lon' evenin'."


	16. Chapter 16

**OOPS MY HAND SLIPPED...AGAIN! **

**WHAT IS IT WITH ME AND ALL OF MY OCS!? Agh! On another note, I really do kind of like Rebecca; she's nice enough. Yes, quite, although I plan to take a break from OCs in future stories, just for the sake of sake, if that makes any sense. Enjoy chapter 16! Shout-outs next chapter. ENJOY! :D **

The only people who blatantly refused to leave were Valka and Astrid; the others waited outside for Rebecca to do whatever she had to. And even _then _they were all reluctant; what was all that yapping about Meathead blades? It was making them worried, and the lack of an explanation from Rebecca was _especially _unsettling.

And so they waited outside while Rebecca, Valka, Astrid and Hiccup remained inside the room.

Wyleah remained silent, because no one could understand what he was saying, and he couldn't understand them, either, so speaking would be useless. However, the other riders spoke to each other about Wyleah; how they thought Hiccup and him had met, why Hiccup felt so strong about getting Wyleah out of prison.

Wyleah had actually thought about turning and running a fair few times, and then decided against it. There was no where for him to go, and he wanted to know if Hiccup would be alright as well. He was scared, but he figured that these people with him were all friends of Hiccup, or else they wouldn't have been acting so worried and frantic seeing him injured.

Wyleah wondered how Hiccup had gotten hurt in the first place; it was obvious the challenger had beaten him, but Wyleah didn't know how. He hadn't seen the fight. Part of him silently promised that he would never follow another Roman again, even if it was the death of him.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Rebecca was asking Valka and Astrid questions regarding the unconscious Chief of Berk.

"And so he's unconscious, aye?" Rebecca asked, although she already knew the answer. Valka and Astrid nodded anyways. "Okay then," said Rebecca. "It shouldn' be too big of a problem, just so lon' as it doesn' get infected. I'll probably have to stitch it so it heals properly, but that don't mean you all can't be too careful, you know that, right?"

"Of course," said Valka.

"Yeah," said Astrid. "He'll...he'll live, right?"

"More than likely," said Rebecca offhandedly. For some reason, that didn't assure Astrid at all. "Don' worry too much, lass," said Rebecca.

Oh yes, of course, because 'not worrying' would be _easy _when Hiccup was laying unconscious in front of her due to a stab wound to the stomach.

She let it go, though, because it really didn't matter. Her sarcasm wasn't helpful nor was it beneficial to them in any way, shape or form.

"Okey dokey," said Rebecca. She was so _calm _about the situation it was almost terrifying. "Here comes the tricky part. This is where you cover your ears."

"Cover our ears?" Astrid frowned. "Why?"

"Because in just a few more seconds," said Rebecca, "after I pour some of this-" she held up a small bottle filled with clear liquid and shook it to show Astrid and Valka, "-over the wound, he's going to scream."

Astrid and Valka clamped their hands over their ears as Rebecca uncorked the bottle and held her breath. Then, she dumped about half of the bottle's contents over the wound, and almost instantly, Hiccup screamed, his eyes remaining closed.

He screamed for a good five seconds; when it finally stopped, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Wyleah and Eret ran back into the room, obviously wondering what was going on, and what had happened.

"What was that!?" Eret demanded.

"Why'd he scream like that!?" Snotlout added angrily.

"I had to do it, or t'he wound would'ave got'n a nasty infection," said Rebecca, setting the bottle on the floor beside her. "I'm sorry, fer what it's worth. I've trained myself as a healer, but I still haven't got'n used to seein' someone else's misery. It's hard to watch, it is. I have a love-hate relationship with healin'. I'm glad I know how to, but at the same time, I hate what it comes with, most medicines making people in pain before the wounds actually heal."

"We appreciate all your help, Rebecca," said Astrid. "Thank you."

Rebecca shrugged. "Don' thank me," she said. "It's my pleasure, doin' stuff like this. That medicine also numbed the wound, so now I should be able to put a few stitches into it without...erm..._Hiccup, _as you called 'im, feelin' anythin' too terrible."

She got her tools ready, and then took to stitching the wound. Hiccup twitched a few times, but other than that, made no other indication to show he was in pain.

Once Rebecca was finished, she sat back and sighed, putting her stuff away. "He'll live," she said offhandedly, "but it might take him a while to actually recover fully. By the looks of it, he lost a whole mess of blood. But he should be fine, and maybe in a week or two he'll be back on his feet to boot."

The others sighed in relief. He was going to pull through, and at that point, that was all that mattered to them. Rebecca started wrapping Hiccup's stomach in gauze, and then after tying off the bandage, took to putting her medical supplies away.

"Now, ya'll look exhausted," she said, turning back to face the Berkians once she finished. "You can probably stay 'ere for tonight without my brother gettin' too mad. He holds a bit of o' temper, but he don't _dare _go against my wishes. I may be a healer, but even we have bad days."

"Thank you, Rebecca," said Valka. "Thank you so much. Is there anything we can to do repay you?"

"Well," said Rebecca, "tomorrow, you could start by tellin' me your story, how this-" She gestured roughly to not only Hiccup, but to the other Berkians, and then the dragons outside as well, "came to be."

"Deal," said Valka. "And thank you again."

"Don't mention it," said Rebecca. "Just make yourselves at home here, and I'll see you all in the morning."

"Okay, thanks," said Valka.

"Night," said Rebecca, and then left the room before the others could respond.


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, so I know I said that there would be shout-outs next chapter, but my email thingy is messing up again, and ugh. Next chapter! :) I hope you all enjoy this one. There will be one more chapter after this one, and then an epilogue, so yeah. ALMOST DONE! :D Enjoy this chapter! (I hope so, anyways) **

It was around midnight when Hiccup opened his eyes. He examined his surroundings, finding it dark, which was a complete difference to the last time he had awakened. Before now, he couldn't even open his eyes. And now suddenly, he could.

Something was different, but he wasn't sure what exactly.

He tried to sit up, and then ended up yelping and falling back sharply again. Oh, right, yeah, he was stabbed. Well, that put a damper on his mood. He assessed his surroundings once more as his vision came back into focus.

It was obviously nighttime; it was dark, after all. Strange. When he passed out the first time, it was in the middle of the after_noon_, and he was in _Rome_, more importantly. Where he was now certainly wasn't Rome. Then where was he?

He gazed around the room; the only thing that gave any light to the room at all was a small candle with an even smaller flame. However, Hiccup was able to use the light to realize that his friends were laying on simple blankets on the floor, sleeping peacefully. Well, if they were all sleeping so soundly, they couldn't have been in danger.

He found himself laying down on a blanket as well; he felt around until his fingers grazed the actual floor, made up of wooden boards nailed together in a rather unsturdy manner. He put his hand on the ground beside him, the other hand mirroring the action, and then he slowly started pushing himself into a sitting position.

It hurt, but he managed it without screaming. He didn't want to wake the others, especially when he wasn't sure what they had been through. For all he knew, they could have fought off the entire Roman army to save his life. He didn't want to wake them up if they wanted to sleep.

He leaned up against the wall and exhaled. Well, it could have been worse, right? He could have been _dead_. His friends were safe, he was safe...and that was really all that mattered.

But what about Wyleah?

Hiccup looked around until his eyes rested on Wyleah's sleeping form. He relaxed again when he realized the Berkians had gotten him out of prison. They would take Wyleah back to Berk with them, and then he could become a Berkian.

He would have to teach Wyleah Norse, though. That would be important later.

He wanted to stay awake and see for himself that they weren't in danger, but he suddenly felt tired, his eyes unable to stay open. So, he closed them, and fell into a natural slumber.

…

Valka woke up the next morning to find sunlight streaming through the window. She sat up, wondering where they were, until she remembered. They had received help; right, from Rebecca.

She looked around for a few seconds before her eyes fell on Hiccup. He was sitting in an upright position, leaning against the wall. Valka shook her head. He must have woken up in the middle of the night, confused, and quite possibly scared. He probably tried to get up, exhausting himself in the process. Foolish boy. But really, Valka wasn't surprised. He wasn't one to wait around for answers; he was the one to try and find them himself.

The others woke up shortly afterwards; Astrid first, then Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Wyleah, Eret, Snotlout, and then lastly Fishlegs. As if on cue once they were all up, Rebecca entered the room, shouldering a large pack.

She plopped it down on the floor and breathed heavily for only a few moments before addressing the Berkians.

"Gotcha some stuff to take with ya on yer journey back to wherever it is you came," she said. "But first, I would like to know how ya'll came to bein' here in the first place. Ya agreed to tell me."

"Right," said Valka. "Well, it's a long story."

"I like lon' stori's," said Rebecca. "Shoot."

And so Valka and the others took turns explaining to Rebecca all they had been through, starting from the moment the Lava Louts attacked, and going all the way to saving Hiccup from Rome. Rebecca listened intently, nodding silently, her chin resting on her hands, her elbows resting on her knees.

"And so ya don' know what 'iccup went through in Rome, if I am correct?" Rebecca asked once they finished their tale. Valka and the others nodded in unison. "Well," said Rebecca, "I wouldn't mind hearin' his side o' the story, when he wakes up. Actually, I should probably wake 'im up anyway, just to see if he's doin' okey with his wound and all."

Rebecca reached out to him hesitantly, and then shook his shoulder. Hiccup's eyes fluttered uncertainly for a moment before they opened, falling on all the figures in the room staring at him.

Then, he looked at Rebecca.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Rebecca," Rebecca answered. "I totally saved your life."

"She did," said Valka. "She let us stay the night after patching you up. It's great to see you awake again, Hiccup. How do you feel?"

"Rather dizzy and lightheaded, but I guess that's what comes with being stabbed," said Hiccup. "Right?"

Valka nodded. "I wish you weren't right, kind of," she admitted. "But at least you're awake now."

"I suppose there is that one specific thing," said Hiccup. "And thanks, Rebecca, for saving me."

Rebecca shrugged. "I don' exactly do things for thanks," she said, "but you're welcome."

"Glad to see you alright," said Eret.

"No kidding," said Snotlout. "We were all kind of worried. Well, at least _they _were." He pointed behind him at the others. "I knew you would be alright."

Hiccup gave him an "are-you-serious?" look, and then shook his head.

Astrid marched up to Hiccup, and then punched his forearm. Hiccup turned and looked back at her; her punch had barely garnered a reaction from him. He had grown so used to her punching him all the time, that now, it didn't even hardly bother him.

"Was that supposed to hurt, or-?" he started.

Astrid cut him off with a slap.

"OW!" he shouted. "Why would you _do _that!?"

"Because you scared me half to death!" said Astrid. Then, she kissed him.

Rebecca whistled. "Well," she said, "that escalated quickly."


	18. Chapter 18

**WHOA WHOA WHOA SO THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE, BUT THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER AND WHOA. :) Shout-outs (YES!): **

**silverwolvesarecool: Thanks a bunch! :D **

**AnimeAngel: Thanks! And yeah...Snotlout... *groans and laughs while banging head against refrigerator***

**xFaerieValkyriex: I'm glad! I like her, too! :D **

**ElskaHiksti: :D **

**HiccupHaddockIII: Thanks! And I cannot give my exact age, but it is between ten and fifteen. :D And I have no idea how I write so fast. I just, see a story, and I just gotta..._write it_. Y'know. :D**

**Omegaman17: I'm glad you liked it! I almost didn't put it in, but then I was like, "Oh okay I'll do it!" and now I'm glad I did. :D **

**Silver Electricity: YES MAKE MY EMAIL PPAPAAAAAAYYY HAVE SOME COFFEEE! :D **

"Alright," said Rebecca. "Hiccup, I wanna hear your side of the story."

"We all do," said Astrid, sitting across from him while the others gathered around him. "If you feel up to it."

"Um...yeah, I think I can manage," said Hiccup. "It's the least I could do to repay you for saving me."

Wyleah looked at Hiccup, and Hiccup quickly addressed him in Latin. "These are my friends," he said so Wyleah could understand him.

"Yeah, I figured that much," said Wyleah in response. "Thank you for keeping your promise to me, Toby, and I'm sorry for not believing you."

"That's okay," said Hiccup. "And Wyleah...you may now call me Hiccup."

"Um...translate, please?" said Astrid. "I don't know what you guys are saying."

"Basically, he's thanking me for saving him," said Hiccup once again in Norse. "Well, actually, it was _you _guys who saved him in reality."

"Come on, Hiccup!" said Tuffnut. "I'm dying to know what happened to you when in Rome!"

"Seriously, Hiccup!" Ruffnut chimed in. "What happened?"

"Okay, okay," said Hiccup. "Here goes nothing."

And so he told them. He told them everything, from the very minute the Lava Louts took him to the slava market, and then up to when Robundagus stabbed him. He saw his friends flinch when he mentioned the part when he was injured, and then continued on to how he woke up at this house.

Rebecca whistled. "I can't believe ya'll went through such things," she said. "It's crazy."

"Very crazy," said Astrid, "but it's over now. Rebecca, um...how did you and your brother come to live here, if I might ask?"

"Simple," said Rebecca. "We were orphans, our home island was attacked, we escaped on a ship, and came here. We used the wood from the ship to build this house, and then some of the other resources on the ship to stay alive and hold the place together. It's worked rather well, if you ask me, which you might as well. We've never actually thought about goin' back, we haven't. My brother Fern and I are doing quite well here on our own, and we don' intend to change tha' anytime soon." She nodded as if to emphasize her point, and then got to her feet.

"Well," said Rebecca, "I'd hate to make ya'll leave like this, but my brother don't really like people like you, as I said last night. I think it'd be best if you all leave back to your own home island...what did you call it…? Berk?"

Valka nodded.

"You know, Rebecca," said Hiccup, "you and Fern are welcome to come with us, if you want, of course. You don't have to stay here anymore."

Rebecca was shaking her head even before he finished speaking. "Me and my brother have got a little routine goin' here, and it would be a shame if we were to give it all up, after all we've been through to keep this place together," she said. "But thank you for your offer."

"Okay," said Hiccup. "Thanks again for everything, Rebecca."

"Don' mention it," she responded. "It was a pleasure, Hiccup. A pleasure. Only, if there is one thing I ask, can our next meeting be less, oh, I dunno...urgent in matter?"

"I think that would be best," Hiccup agreed. "Thank you, once more."

With the help of Valka, Hiccup managed to stumbled outside and to their dragons, followed closely by the other riders. They mounted their dragons, Hiccup sitting in front of Valka on Cloudjumper, and then were airborne, waving one last time at Rebecca before she disappeared from view, her house and the sea-stack quickly following.

The flight back to Berk was uneventful, really, the flight smooth and absent of danger and problems. It took hours, but it was worth it, when Berk finally appeared on the horizon.

The dragons circled the island once before coming to land in the plaza; they were instantly crowded around by villagers, demanding to know where they had gone, and what had happened, and how Hiccup was back.

Of course, Hiccup, with the help of Astrid, tried to shoo them off, telling them that they would have a meeting to discuss everything when he felt up to it. At that moment, though, he just wanted to rest. He was exhausted.

The Berkians were still worried and persistent as ever.

"What happened!?" one of them shouted, even after Hiccup and Astrid's persuading.

"Did they hurt you!?" someone else shouted.

"Did you destroy the Lava Louts?" another villager asked.

Gobber appeared in the crowd, and then instantly, seeing Hiccup's weary look, turned to address the other Berkians.

"Alright, break it up, all of you!" he shouted. "Like Hiccup said, we'll call a meeting later! Right now, all of you, go back to your homes, or doing whatever you were doing before now."

Some of the Berkians mumbled under their breath, unwilling to leave, yet they did so anyway. No one was in the mood to argue with Gobber.

Gobber turned back to them.

"Thanks," Hiccup said.

Gobber shrugged. "No problem," he said, "but you know, they won't stay away long. They'll be back at your house asking questions once more the minute you get there."

"I guess that could be a bit of a problem," said Hiccup.

"How about I talk to them?" Valka offered. She didn't want to leave Hiccup, but she knew that she could probably talk to the crowds better than anyone else could. "Astrid, do you think you'd be able to help him to the house?"

"Of course!" said Astrid, probably too cheerfully. She moved over and took one of Hiccup's arms over her shoulder, setting the other one at his waist. "You ready?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded.

"While you do that," said Snotlout, "how about me and these guys-" He gestured to Fishlegs, Eret and the twins, "-show Wyleah around?"

"That'd be sweet," said Hiccup. And then, he addressed Wyleah in Latin: "They're going to show you around Berk."

"Okay," Wyleah answered back. "I won't be able to understand anything they say, though."

"They know that," said Hiccup. "I'll work on teaching you some Norse later on sometime, okay?"

"Okay, sounds good," said Wyleah. "Thanks again."

Then, he turned and followed the others, Valka went up to the Great Hall, Gobber went back to work, and Astrid helped Hiccup to his house.

The walk up to Hiccup's house was uneventful...until they opened the front door. As soon as they did, a blur of black dragon pounced Hiccup and Astrid, standing over Hiccup, licking his face.

While Hiccup was gone, Toothless had isolated himself, consumed by grief and worry for his rider. He still couldn't believe that he had stood there doing nothing while the Lava Louts took his rider away from him. But becoming the Alpha, Toothless understood leadership, and wanting to protect one's tribe, but still. The Lava Louts had taken it too far by capturing him.

And now, having him back was the greatest thing in the world for the Night Fury.


	19. Epilogue

**LAST CHAPTER AND IT'S ONLY LIKE THREE HUNDRED WORDS BUT THIS STORY IS DONE NOW OH MAH GOOOODDDDNNNNNEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS! I will start posting a new story sometime tomorrow (I think), and so I hope you enjoy this chapter while it lasts. :D Enjoy! **

"Okay, okay, Toothless!" Hiccup said, pushing on the Night Fury's face to try and stop his licking. "Buddy, really, I was hurt."

Toothless took a step back, looking at his rider while Astrid helped him to his feet.

"Thanks for the welcoming, Toothless," said Hiccup sincerely. "You have no idea how great it is to see you again."

Toothless cooed and nuzzled Hiccup's side, and Hiccup patted his head gently. Then, Astrid helped Hiccup inside, Toothless following closely.

Instead of trying to get Hiccup up all the stairs that lead to his loft, she decided that the couch was just fine. So, she moved over and helped Hiccup lay down as carefully as she could have. Hiccup sighed and gazed up at her.

"Thanks...for that," he said.

"Don't mention it," said Astrid. "And...Hiccup, there's something I need to tell you...it's important."

"Yes?" he replied.

"I'm really, really, really sorry," said Astrid. "The way I yelled at you before, I didn't mean it to come out like that, Hiccup. You...you didn't do anything wrong. I was just being selfish...and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Astrid," said Hiccup. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have told you I was going to be late. I shouldn't have yelled at you, either."

"No, but it was my fault," said Astrid. "Don't go blaming yourself, Hiccup."

"But now I feel guilty!" said Hiccup. "I've been feeling guilty since what I said, and now...I'm sorry, Astrid. Could you forgive me?"

"Of course I could!" said Astrid. "Could you ever forgive _me_?"

"I already have," said Hiccup. "And thank you, Astrid."

"You're thanking me?" Astrid asked. "For what?"

"For never giving up on me," Hiccup answered.

_**THE END**_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay, so maybe I cut off really abruptly, but I think that this story is done. I really loved writing this; I had an absolute blast doing it, and cannot WAIT to start on another story soon!**

**Thank you all for hanging in there with me! I wasn't so sure how I liked this story, but I GOT OVER A HUNDRED REVIEWS AND I FREAKED OUT WHEN I REALIZED IT AND WOW YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! **

**Thank you all so much for hanging in there! :D **

**-BeyondTheClouds777**


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